National News

Paula Deen fired by Food Network after the TV chef admits using N-word in past

The Food Network is putting a fork in Paula Deen's TV cooking shows. The network announced Friday it would not renew Deen's contract when it expires at the end of the month. The move follows a week of controversy over the celebrity chef's casual admission to using the racially-charged N-word during a deposition for a pending lawsuit. Deen also offered a public apology on Friday.

In an earlier statement on Thursday, Deen blamed her use of the word on her Southern upbringing. The celebrity chef is being sued by a former employee who claims she was subjected to racist, sexist and inappropriate remarks while working as a manager at Deen's Oyster House restaurant in Georgia.